Fruit branding machine



July 8, 1941. 1. A. TEDDER FRUI T BRANDING MACHINE Original Filed Nov. 21, 1938 Patented July 8, 1941 U N l-TETD STAT ES F F ICE FRUIT Ira A; Tedder, San Benito, Tern, assignor; by direct and mesne assignments, to Tedder Fruit-Branding Machine Company, alcorporation Continuation of applicationSerial No. 241,679,

November 21, 1938. Thisapplication 19.40, Serial'No. 1343;282

9 Claims. (Cl. .101-8) t This application is a continuation of" my c0- pending application, Serial Number 241,679, filed November 21, 1938, for Frui-tbranding machine.

This invention relates to branding or marking devices and more particularly to a device adapted for use in branding or marking fruits, suchas citrusfruits or the like.

An object of this invention is to provide a means whereby an identifying mark in the form of a brand or design may be formedon the outside of the fruit in such a manner that-the mark or brand cannot be removed from-the skin of the fruit without injuring the skin of the fruit.

Another object of this invention is to provide a branding or marking device of this kind which is so constructed that it can'be used with conveyors at present used in the sizing of" the fruit without embodying any undue changes'and'at a relatively small cost.

A further object of this-invention is to provide a branding or marking device of this kind which is operated by electricity and which is adapted to burn the skin of the fruit to the desired depth so that the fruit itself will not beinjured, but at the same time, the brand or mark cannot be removed without damaging the fruit so that it will not be an easy matter to remove the brand and substitute another brand or marking therefor.

At the present time, it is the practice to impress brands or marks on the skin of the fruit by inking devices, but such brands or marks can be easily removed or changed so that'the purchaser of the fruit will purchase fruit of aquality which is not identified by the particular brand, and in this manner, it is an easy matter to change the brand or mark without injuring the skin of the fruit so that the consumer or purchaserwill not be able to readily determine whether a particular article of fruit has had the brand or mark thereon changed. The use of a branding device of this kind will burn the brand into the skin of the fruit to such a degree thatitwill not be possible to remove the brand without undue labor-and expense and also without injuring the skin of the fruit.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device of this kind which may be used for different sizes of fruit without requiring any change whatever in the construction of the device as if desired, several different sizes of fruit may be run through the device and each size of fruit will be properly branded ormarked.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device of this kind which may be installed at a relatively small cost and which may be maintained at a relatively low cost, the device including means whereby the device will not injure either the fruit or the persons operating the device.

June 29',

To the above objects and to others which may hereinafter appear, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement-of -parts-as will be more specifically referred to and illustrated by v the accompanying drawing wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention, but it is-to be understood that changes, variations and modifications may be resorted to whichfall-within thescope of the invention as claimed Inthe drawing:

Figure 1 is a detail'front elevation of a branding-or marking device constructed according to an embodiment of t'hisinvention,

Figure-'2 is a-detailed side elevation of the devlce;

Figure 3: is a fragmentary topplan of the devlce;

Figure L is anenlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4 -4 of Figure 3 and Figure 5 is a detailed bottom plan of the branding device used with the structureshown in Figures 1 to 4, inclusive.

Referring now to the drawing, the numeral 16 designates the upper run of a conveyor which is trained over' a drum 11 carried by a shaft 18; The shaft 'l8 is journalled in bearings 19 carried bya frame A pair of upwardly extending side wall members-8| are secured to supporting bars 82 and extend onopposite sides of the conveyor member 16-; I

An arcuate: branding member 83is secured to thefree end of a rock lever 84 being disposed withina pair of'downwardlydivergent flanges orcha-nnel members 85. The branding member 83 :is secured tothe-lever 84 by means of screws 85": or the like and'thisb'randing' member 83 is provided on the convex surface thereof with brandingmember 83 isadapted to be connected to a'sourceof current SUDI IY y'CODdIlCtOrS 52a. The lever 84is rockably mounted on a transversely extending shaft 8! which is supported by means of'a pair of brackets 58 secured asby bolts onscrews- 89't0 the side walls ill. The brackets-'88 are provided, with upwardly opening slots 9i! and.the .shaft 81 is secured in theslots Billby setscrews al..

The lever 84 is provided intermediate theends thereof With, a-,weight member 92which is-slidablealong thelengthof. the lever, fi l-and secured in adjusted position by means of a set screw 93 so that the desirednpressure may, beapplied to thefree end or outer end of the lever 84. The lever 84" is provided'at its inner. end with a 'hub 9'4"il oosely engaging the shaft 81, and in the present instance, there areprovidedtwo levers B'41and,8;4a which arermounted on'the shaft 81 in spaced apart relation. A fruit guiding rod 95 is secured at one end to a sleeve 96 fixed as by a set screw 91 to the shaft 81. The guiding rod 95 coacts with a second guiding rod 98 carried by a sleeve 99 fixed to the shaft 8! in order to guide the fruit moving along the conveyor member 16 to the channel member 85. The sleeve 99 is fixed to the shaft 81 by means of a set screw Iilll and is positioned between the sleeve 94 and the sleeve 94a carried by the levers 84 and 84 11. A second guide rod 95a is positioned on the side opposite from the guide member 95 and coacts with a guide member 9811 in guiding the fruit to the second channel 85a carried by the second lever 84a. The second weight 92a is secured to the lever 84a and is adjusted along the length of the lever 84 a by means of a set screw 9311.

In the use and operation of this device, the levers 84 and 84a are swingable on the shaft 81 and contact with the fruit F as the fruit rolls between the guiding members 95 and 98. This branding device may be combined with the present structure used for sizing or sorting the fruit being positioned on the side walls of the conveyor structure, and when it is not desired to brand the fruit, the branding device may be readily removed from the conveyor by releasing the set screws 91 and lifting the shaft 81 from the brackets 88. Removal of the shaft 81 will lift both levers 84 and 84a and also the guiding member 95, 95a, 98 and 98a from the space between the side wall members 8!. The branding members 83 are adaptedto be connected to a suitable voltage reducing transformer structure of conventional construction.

What I claim is: I

1. In a fruit conveyor including an endless conveyor belt and stationary upstanding walls on opposite sides of the belt; a fruit marking attachment comprising a rock lever, means engaging said walls and the lever rockably supporting the lever above the belt, a heated marking means fixedly carried by said lever, and means carried by said supporting means guiding the fruit toward said marking means.

2. In a fruit conveyor including an endless conveyor belt and stationary upstanding walls on opposite sides of the belt; a fruit marking attachment comprising a rock lever, a pair of bearing members, means securing said bearing members to said walls, a shaft engaging said bearing members and said lever, a heated marking means carried by said lever, and fruit guide means carried by said shaft.

3. In a fruit conveyor including an endless conveyor belt and stationary upstanding walls on opposite sides of the belt; a fruit marking attachment comprising a rock lever, a pair of bearing members, means securing saidmembers to said walls, said members each having an upwardly opening slot therein, a lever supporting shaft removably engaging in said slots, means securing said shaft in the slots of said bearing members, fruit guide means carried by said shaft on opposite sides of said lever, and marking means carried by said lever.

4. In a fruit conveyor including an endless conveyor belt and stationary upstanding walls on opposite sides of the belt; a fruit marking attachment comprising a rock lever, a pair of bearing members, means securing said members to said walls, said members each having an upwardly opening slot therein, a lever supporting shaft removably engaging in said slots, means securing said shaft in the slots of said bearing members, fruit guide means carried by said shaft on opposite sides of said lever, and a convex heated marking means carried by said lever in a position confronting said belt.

'5. A fruit marking attachment for a conveyor having upstanding side walls comprising a shaft extending transversely across the conveyor, shaft supporting means fixed to said side walls, said supporting means including a boss having an upwardly opening shaft receiving recess therein, means removably holding said shaft in said recess, a rock lever loose on said shaft, a heated marking device fixedly carried by said lever, fruit guide means carried by said lever on opposite sides of said marking device, and a second fruit guide means fixed to said shaft and extending in the direction of the free end of said lever, said shaft, lever and second guide means being removable as a unit from said supporting means.

6. A fruit marking attachment for a conveyor having upstanding side walls comprising a shaft extending transversely across the conveyor, means detachably supporting said shaft from said side walls, a rock lever loose on said shaft, a marking device fixedly carried by said lever, and fruit guide means fixed to said shaft and extending in the direction of the free end of said lever whereby to guide the fruit towards said marking device, said shaft, lever and guide means being removable as a unit from said conveyor side Walls.

'7. A fruit marking attachment for a conveyor having upstanding side Walls comprising a shaft extending transversely across the conveyor, upstanding supporting means detachably fixed to the side walls of the conveyor, a shaft supporting boss carried by each supporting means, means removably securing said shaft in said bosses, a rock lever loose on said shaft, a marking device fixedly carried by said lever, a pair of fruit guiding members disposed on opposite sides of said lever, means fixedly securing said guide means to said shaft, said guide means, lever and shaft being removable as a unit from said supporting means.

8. Afruit marking attachment for a conveyor having upstanding side walls comprising a shaft extending transversely across the conveyor, shaft supporting means fixed to said side walls, said supporting means including a boss having a shaft receiving recess therein, means removably holding said shaft in said recess, a rock lever loose on said shaft, a marking device fixedly carried by said lever,-fruit guide means carried by said lever on opposite sides of'said marking device, and a second fruit guide means fixed to said shaft and extending in the direction of the free end of said lever, said shaft, lever and second guide meansbeing removable as a unit from said supporting means.

9. In a fruit conveyor including an endless conveyor belt and stationary upstanding walls on opposite sides of the belt; a fruit marking attachment comprising a rock lever, a pair of bearing members, means securing saidmembers to said walls, said members each having a slot therein, a lever supporting shaft removably engagingin said slots, means securing said shaft in the slots of said bearing members, fruit guide means carried by said shaft on opposite sides of said lever, and a marking means carried by said lever in a position confronting said belt.

IRA A. 'I'EDDER. 

